Have a Baby Without Going Broke

Babies can be expensive additions to the family. Especially the first (or the very belated, unexpected kind). The whole situation can make for a few sleepless nights if you worry about how you will afford it. But it is totally possible to save money on new baby so you can avoid going broke in the process of this exciting life milestone.

There are certain items you are going to need, whether you like it or not. Some are big and at times expensive. Others not so much. Some you will need brand new, but most you can obtain in other much cheaper ways.

Here is how you can save money on new baby essentials without breaking the bank:

1. BORROW

Chances are someone you know has not so long ago had a baby or happens to still have their baby stuff going unused. Unless they are planning another in the immediate future, many people are happy to lend to friends. This is a great way to get things like a cot, highchair, clothes and pram for free.

2. SECOND HAND

Baby stuff is a dime and a dozen as they say. There are always people needing it, while others are needing to get rid of it so check out garage sales, facebook selling groups, online trading sites and second hand stores and you will find most of the items you need at heavily discounted prices. Often in excellent condition too since babies outgrow items so quick.

3. HIRE

This is a great option for those expensive items like car capsules and breast pumps. You may only need these for a certain period and if you do your calculations, will hopefully spend less hiring than buying the same item new for only a short use.

4. BABY SHOWER

Yes, they are a wonderful way of getting the stuff you need without spending a cent. Consider a registry if there are specific items you still need or have a theme to cover the things you want like everyone bring an outfit or nappy raffles to stock up on nappies. It pays not to buy too much before the baby shower to avoid double ups.

5. BUY ON SALE

Things like nappies, baby care items & other disposables can be expensive if you are buying as you to so consider buying a few of these things when you see but discounts in the lead up to bubs arrival. Or you could buy a pack of nappies once a month with groceries. But remember babies grow quick & sometimes they are born as heffas, so don’t go too overboard on newborn. A couple of the next size up will get used eventually so not a bad idea to have a mix.

6. GO WITHOUT

You do not need every fancy gadget and so called baby essential that is on the market. Babies are pretty simple to please and other than the big items like a bed, a car seat & a pram, a lot of other stuff isn’t totally essential. For example, a change table is great but a bed with a towel works too. I also recommend not going crazy with the clothes. A summer baby can pretty much live in a small selection of onesies or t-shirts. They dorm need lots of stylish clothes in those first few months. Just comfort. Same goes for shoes. Newborn babies don’t need shoes. Babies can’t walk! Save your dollars!

7. CUT YOUR EXPENSES

You usually have about 7-8 months to prepare for bubs arrival. This gives you plenty of time to get yourself sorted. Consider shopping around for items like insurance, internet etc, to cut your annual expenses. Stop splurging & start saving. You will thank yourself later.

So there you have it… Babies can be fairly affordable (until they go to school… But that’s years away). In fact, my second bub is barely costing us at all, thanks to it being another girl & us having most of what we need. Just need to buy our big girl a new car seat that converts to a booster & borrow some winter clothes from a friend and we are set!

Did you manage to save a small fortune when having babies or did you need 1 of everything… Just in case?

Comments

My second is 4 months and it’s surprising how little he has really needed to survive! With my first, the nursery was done weeks before he was due, he had every big ticket item brand new and high end. Number 2 hasn’t even got a cot mattress yet and his nursery is being used as a junk room 🙂 Babies thrive on very little 🙂

Haha yes, sounds familiar, although we just never used the cot for number 1 as she ended up co sleeping after outgrowing the bassinet. Next one gets to use the cot from day one so I can justify the first baby spending 😉 they really don’t need much.

I’m backing on all my friends being generous with hand-me-downs if I’m ever lucky enough to start a family. I’m actually taking the line that it’s taken me this long so that I can learn from everyone else and borrow and beg as required 😉 Thanks for the tips. I’m filing them away.

With baby number 2 we splurged on a capsule and pram combo… Which has been worth every penny in terms of keeping baby asleep while I’m out and about… But we saved by forgoing the change table and keeping most of the more expensive items from our first baby… We also didn’t buy many small clothes, he only fitted into 0000 for the first couple of days!

We didn’t go over the top when it came to buying things for our boys. As our big boy was 10 weeks early, we hadn’t bought anything for him which was actually quite a good thing in hindsight as it made us really think about what we truly needed. Our baby boy was born just 16months later, so we already had most of what we needed. The one thing I did let myself splurge on was a good double pram which has well and truly paid for itself and is still going strong and getting used regularly coming up to two years later.Lauren @ Create Bake Make recently posted…Easy Easter Recipes

Eeek… 10 weeks early. I only have 9 weeks to go and so not ready yet lol. We haven’t gone for a double pram as our big girl will be about 2 and a half by then, so hoping it won’t be needed. Fingers crossed!

One of the dumbest things to ever come out of my mouth was when I was pregnant and said “How expensive can kids really be?” Now I have two and realize they can be very expensive. These are some really helpful suggestions!